Quabbin students remember classmate

Friday

Mar 21, 2014 at 6:00 AMMar 21, 2014 at 3:29 PM

BARRE — In his 17 years, Jeremy Kauppila left scars on almost all of his friends. When he dragged them along on his adventures they'd end up stung by bees, scratched by branches or even inadvertently shot by a BB, a friend recalled at a vigil Thursday night. But the biggest scar of all, this one left on their hearts, came Sunday when he was killed in a car crash in Oakham.

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

BARRE — In his 17 years, Jeremy Kauppila left scars on almost all of his friends.

When he dragged them along on his adventures they'd usually end up stung by bees, scratched by branches or, on at least one occasion, inadvertently shot by a BB, his friend Megan Hitching said Thursday night.

But the biggest scar of all, this one left on their hearts, came Sunday when friends awoke to the news that early that morning, after the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps' ball the night before, Jeremy, who lived in Hubbardston, had been killed in a car crash in Oakham.

Jeremy was a passenger in a car driven by his friend, 17-year-old Aaron Witkos of Oakham, also a member of the NJROTC. Friends said Thursday night they are praying for Aaron to recover from his injuries. Police have said he will face charges but because he is a juvenile, they declined to disclose anything further.

Thursday night about 500 people — many of them students, parents or teachers — gathered at Quabbin Regional High School, where he attended classes, to remember the popular teen with a vigil and assembly.

A member of the football team, the wrestling team, the track team and the NJROTC, he would have graduated this spring with plans, ROTC Capt. Daniel Brennock said, his voice breaking, to be a sailor in the nuclear Navy.

"He was so proud of his decision," Capt. Brennock said. "And he went after it hard, losing weight ... not too much. Losing inches ... just enough."

And Jeremy, with his ability to put others first, would have been "a great sailor," he said.

Capt. Brennock brought laughs as he told of how, on the way home from a white-water rafting trip, he looked back to see all of the students in his car asleep — save Jeremy, who had a "deer in the headlights look" because student Jazmin Lambert had fallen asleep with her head on his chest.

There were enough feelings between the two that Jeremy once successfully persuaded Jazmin to put a slug — the kind found in the woods — on her tongue.

Students, their eyes red-rimmed from days of tears, signed a poster on the back wall and consoled one another. The football team autographed a ball — each member of Jeremy's senior-year team signing his name before the ball was presented to Wayne and Pamela Kauppila, his parents.

Mr. Kauppila told those gathered that his son had loved them and that they would be OK.

The news has shaken the close Quabbin community, Principal Raymond Dewar said.

Andrew Churchill, a close friend of Jeremy, said the pair became close after Andrew moved to the area and didn't seem to fit in.

He said Jeremy always made time to attend his concerts and watch him perform. He said they'd recently become interested in rock climbing and watched a video about ill-fated climbers. The song playing as they watched was "Welcome Home" by Radical Face.

The lyrics seemed appropriate, Andrew said, and the song was played.

"Peel the scars from off my back, I don't need them anymore. You can throw them out or keep them in your Mason jars, I've come home."

Contact Kim Ring at kring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring